Today Is Our 10 Year Anniversary!!!!

The Story Of TruckingTruth

In late 2006, on a whim, I looked around the Web to see what was available for those considering a career in trucking. To say I was horrified by what I found would not be an exaggeration.

No one was giving honest, legitimate advice purely intended for the benefit of those seeking it. It was your typical company-bashing, face-saving, finger-pointing, simple-minded baloney that would drive people away from the industry or sabotage their careers almost immediately.

I knew these types well. I knew why they were complaining, I knew why they were failing. I had 1.5 million miles under my belt. None of this was a mystery to me. So I decided to set the record straight and bring a different perspective. I immediately began writing a short book on the subject and picked up the domain TruckingTruth.com to share how I felt about trucking.

You see, I loved my years on the road. It was the most grand adventure imaginable! Getting paid to drive a beautiful American Big Rig coast to coast at 21 years old was so exciting I don't think I slept the first two months!

Even in school I was bouncing off the walls with excitement. Every evening I would walk down to the Interstate to watch the trucks pass while Bob Seger screamed "Roll Me Away" in my headphones. I'd sit there night after night dreaming of the day, just around the corner, when it would be my turn to live it instead of just dreaming it.

After graduation I landed my first job and was overjoyed! I vividly remember many details of my first day. I remember conversations word for word, the scenery we passed, and even the meals we ate that day in early September, 1993.

I remember meeting my trainer in the gravel lot at Gainey Transportation. Great guy! We got along splendidly. I remember walking up to his window, reaching up to shake his hand, and running to the passenger door after he said with a smile, "Come around the other side and climb in".

Climb in???? Did he say climb in??? This is IT! I've made it! I'm finally doing this for real!!!

I remember he let me take over at the first rest area. I drove to South Carolina and we hit my first real truck stop where I had a roast beef sandwich and french fries for dinner. I drove a while longer and we spent the night in a rest area in Virginia before finishing our run to Maryland in the morning. By lunchtime the next day we were on our way to Sacramento, and I had never even been as far west as Ohio! OMG we're going to California! I thought I was going to come unglued I was so excited! I don't know how I avoided going into cardiac arrest.

That was over 23 years ago and I still remember it all like yesterday. Over the years driving only got better. I piloted everything imaginable across all 48 lower states and throughout much of Canada. After 15 years I decided to retire because I felt I had exhausted every idea I had for finding fun and adventure as a truck driver. It was time for new adventures.

From my experience I learned trucking was an amazing career for the right person, but an utter nightmare for the rest. I wanted to be perfectly honest with people so they knew the hardships and sacrifices involved, but also understood the adventure of it all. For those ready to take their shot I wanted to give them a solid, actionable strategy and the right perspective for surviving that first year on the road.

My hope was to build a strong community of like-minded people who felt the same way I did about their career and mentoring new drivers. The amazing community we have here today is the best part of TruckingTruth. It is the lifeblood, the personality, the heart of who we are.

I can't begin to express my respect and appreciation for those who have shared their time, their stories, their feelings, their lives with us so we could learn and grow from it all together. I'm torn because I want so badly to thank a bunch of special people individually, but I'm too cowardly to do it. I'm afraid I'll leave someone out!

But from the bottom of my heart I thank you for all you've done to help so many get their careers underway and to promote a lifestyle of pride, humility, and professionalism. In our first ten years we established ourselves as the most trustworthy and professional community in the trucking industry. The next ten we're going to have an even bigger impact on the the industry and I'm more excited than ever for the opportunities that lie ahead!

Our first 10 years:

Total Visits: 15,056,697

Unique Individuals: 9,153,137

Pageviews: 53,966,419

Registered Users: 67,468

Interstate:

Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).

Thanks Brett- Congrats! I'm glad you're hear! My husband and I justed seriously thought about becoming truckers and I came across Trucking Truth and it's been a great help in the few days we've been on the site- thanks a million!

Congratulations Brett!! I can't imagine where I'd be in this process of beginning a truck driving career without you and this site you've created; your efforts are appreciated more than you'll ever know! Cheers to 10 years and counting!

Seriously though, that's quite an achievement. And if it wasn't for this forum, I don't know that I'd have had the nerve to start this career, or have been doing it for five years now. All the support, encouragement, and advice at the beginning made a HUGE difference.

Congrats on the Big One Oh Brett. Thanks for all of the hard work. So......I did the math. At $1.00 per visitor, you have made a cool $15,056,697.00 in your first 10 years! I may have a decimal point out of place somewhere

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About Us

TruckingTruth was founded by Brett Aquila (that's me!), a 15 year truck driving veteran, in January 2007. After 15 years on the road I wanted to help people understand the trucking industry and everything that came with the career and lifestyle of an over the road trucker. We'll help you make the right choices and prepare for a great start to your trucking career.

Becoming A Truck Driver

Becoming A Truck Driver is a dream we've all pondered at some point in our lives. We've all wondered if the adventure and challenges of life on the open road would suit us better than the ordinary day to day lives we've always known. At TruckingTruth we'll help you decide if trucking is right for you and help you get your career off to a great start.